Gas-engine



(No Model.) 7 F. E. GULVER.

GAS ENGINE.

o. 573,209. PatentedDed. 15, 1896.

l WN W fizz sea 7 3 Y\ Ewe/afar /6 fr i w/w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FITZ E. CULVER, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAS-ENGINE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,209, dated December15, 1896.

Application filed June 20 1 89 6.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FITZ E. CULVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Gas-Engines; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

One of the difficulties encountered in gasengines is the heating of thecylinder and piston and the consequent burning of the lubricant-whichbecomes incrusted upon the walls of the combustion-chamber and not onlyincreases the friction, but is apt to become ignited and cause prematureexplosions. This is measurably guarded against by the use of awater-jacket for the cylinder, but this in turn gives rise to unequalexpansion of the parts, the cylinder being kept comparatively cool whilethe piston becomes hot,a-nd it fails to prevent the combustion of theoil which accumulates upon the face of the piston.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for coolingthe piston of such an engine by the use of water; and to this end itconsists in forming the pi ston-head with a water-chamber through whichwater is circulated by the use of cylinder and piston ports, these portsbeing maintained in constant communication by the use of longitudinalchannels in the peripheral face of the piston.

As the invention has no relation whatever to the gas and air supply orto the exhaust of the engine I have not shown in the dra ings ports orvalves for these purposes, the invention being applicable to any form ofgas-engine in connection with which a piston is used which may bechambered.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of thecylinder and piston of a single-acting gas-engine, the piston being atthe end of its outstroke, dotted lines indicatin g its position at theend of its instroke. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the cylinder andpiston of a double- Serial No. 596,275. 11% model.)

acting gas-engine. Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line 4 4 of Fig. i

I show at A the cylinder of a vertical gas engine, a portion of the basebeingshown at X. lVithin the cylinder reciprocates a trunkpiston B, towhich is attached a pitman C by means of a wrist-pin c. WVithin the headof the piston is formed a chamber 1). In the peripheral walls of thepiston are formed longitudinal grooves or channels D E, which may beoppositely disposed, as shown, or otherfound necessary in view of thearrangement of gas and other ports in the particular engine to which theinvention is applied and which may be of any desired .width. Thesegrooves or channels D E are of as great or greater length than thestroke of the piston and at one end each communicates with the chamberZ).

Induction and ed uction ports F C are formed in the cylinder-walls andlead to the channels D E, respectively. These ports are so located thatthe channels are in communication with them throughout the entire strokeof the piston. A water-pipe f leads to the port F, and the port Gdischarges as may be desired, as shown, into the ordinary water-chambera in the walls of the cylinder. Of course the port F may, if desired, beserved from the waterchamber a, though I prefer to introduce the waterfirst into the piston.

At H is shown an eduction-pipe for the water-chamber a.

. Packing-rings K L are placed around the piston B beyond the ends ofthe channels 1.) E to prevent leakage of water.

.[t will be seen that the construction de scribed provides for acontinuous circulation of water through the piston-chamber, the serviceand discharge ports being at all times open through the channels D E tothis chamber.

- In adapting the inventionto a double-acting engine it is necessary touse a trunk-piston M, so as to provide for the channels D E between thepacking-rings K L. Both ends of the piston are chambered, as indicatedat m m, andthe channels D E communicate with both chambers. Thepiston-rod P is screwed into the piston-head, and in order to provideample strength, while leaving comparatively little metal between thechamber m and the wise arranged, as may be desired or may beexploding-chamber of the cylinder,the pistonrod is prolonged and entersthe opposite wall of the chamber 111.

In order to keep the piston-rod P cool, I form it with a longitudinalduct 12, opening to the chamber m through the transverse aperture 1').

In order to avoid excessive weight'of the piston, 1 core the center ofit, as shown at Q, and for the same reason do not open the chamber thusformed to the water chambers, though it is obvious that the entireinterior of the piston might be a single chamber.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a gas-engine, or the like, thecombination with a cylinder, of a trunk-piston having a chambered headand longitudinal grooves in its peripheral surfaces, such grooves beingof as great length as the stroke of the piston and having both terminalsintermediate of the ends of the piston and being open to the chamber inits head, and eduction and discharge ports in the cylinder-walls, eachregistering with one of the grooves throughout the entire stroke of thepiston.

2. In a gas-engine, or the like, the combination with a cylinder, of apiston having a chamber within its head, and induction and eductionports in its Walls communicating with the chamber, and cylinder-portsregistering with the said piston-ports, whereby fluid may be circulatedthrough the piston.

3. In a gasengine, or the like, the combination with a cylinder, of atrunk-piston, pack ing-rings encircling the piston, a chamber in thehead of the piston, longitudinal grooves in the peripheral surface ofthe piston wholly between the packing-rings, and of a length as great asthe stroke of the piston, ports leading from such grooves to thepiston-chamber, and cylinder-ports registering continuously with suchgrooves.

4. In a double-acting gas-engine, or the like, the combination with acylinder, of a chainbered piston, a piston-rod apertured longitudinallyfrom its inner end, its aperture being open to the chamber of thepiston, ports in the walls of the cylinder and opening to its chamber,and ports in the cylinder registering with such piston-ports.

5. In a gas-engine or the like the combination with a cylinder, of atrunk-piston having a chambered head and longitudinal grooves in itsperipheral surfaces, such grooves having both of their terminalsintermediate of the ends of the piston and being open to the chamber inits head, and eduction and discharge ports in the cylinder-walls, eachregistering with one of the grooves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FITZ E. OULVER. Witnesses:

LoUIs K. GILLsoN, ISABEL A. HELMICH.

